As seen at AFI Fest 2008:
Following the
recent success of studio-contracted filmmakers like Tyler Perry
whose pictures target the black community, an onslaught of
similarly-themed low-budget features has emerged. A Good Day
to Be Black & Sexy is the latest to see release. The movie
was written and directed by first-timer Dennis Dortch and
consists of five short segments linked by common themes about
African-American sexual relationships in modern America. There's
a woman who refuses to reciprocate oral sex when her husband
gives it to her, another who is frustrated by her married
boyfriend's lack of commitment, a first-generation
Asian-American who's scared to tell her family she has a black
partner, et cetera et cetera.
A Good Day to Be Black & Sexy is effective for about
a half-hour—around two segments worth—but it wears out its
welcome quickly by feeling overtly episodic. African-American
audiences may enjoy the movie more than I did because it was
made with them in mind—think Perry with less religion and more
sex—but that doesn't excuse the fact that it's a decidedly
mediocre effort. Dortch may be on to something with his
multi-story approach, which admittedly suits his style well, but
it's not readily apparent in the final cut. And not a single
performance in the film stands out as being particularly
inspired. We’ll just have to wait for a better day to see an
engrossing portrayal of what it’s like to be black and sexy on
the big-screen, won’t we?
-Danny Baldwin, Bucket Reviews
Review Published on: 11.5.2008
Screened on: 10.9.2008 at the
American Film Institute in Hollywood, CA.